Charity raises concerns about rogue landlords

A number of landlords are failing to ensure their properties meet
legal standards, according to research by the Citizens Advice
Bureau (CAB).

The study found an estimated 740,000 rented properties are unsafe,
with many rogue landlords still enjoying a substantial income from
tenants.

It is claimed 16 per cent of private rented homes in England are
unsafe, with eight per cent suffering from significant damp issues,
while six per cent do not have adequate heating or
insulation.

"Rogue landlords are putting profits before safety. With a growing
private rental sector, increasing numbers of people are falling
prey to landlords who fail to meet decent standards," said Gillian
Guy, CAB chief executive.

"The government has rightly said it wants to tackle the
country’s housing crisis and it must make targeting dodgy
landlords, giving tenants better rights and driving up standards a
major part of that effort," she added.

According to the CAB, the rising cost of homeownership is forcing
many families to look at renting and this has increased the power
of landlords. Although tenants can take court action against rogue
landlords, it is a complex, expensive and lengthy process.

However, Richard Lambert, chief executive officer at the National
Landlords Association, has raised issues with the CAB's
findings.

Mr Lambert admitted that there is some bad practice within the
private housing sector, but the report fails to paint a full
pictureOur own research shows that 86 per cent of families consider
their properties as their home and that 62 per cent do not see
renting as a barrier to family life. Furthermore just 0.5 per cent
of families who rent privately say they’ve had to move
because their landlord increased their rent," the chief executive
officer added.

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